Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts . . .
No one invites this kind of scrutiny by The Most High God unless he has a conscience free from guilt.
These words are given among men to pray because The Most High God undertook to visit the sons of men with His everlasting mercy in Christ Jesus, adorning them with His righteousness so that they, too, share in His glory, a glory demonstrated not in pomp and power, but in suffering and humility.
But why invite the scrutiny? Why ask God to search the heart? Because the heart of God searches out those who are lost and condemned creatures, without help and without hope unless and until God Himself would take up their nature and be condemned to die for their sin.
Know from this that there is no sin in having anxious thoughts. Anxious thoughts are not hopeless thoughts. Anxious thoughts are the thoughts of God because He anxiously desires to bring poor sinners to Himself here and now. He is intent upon vindicating those who mourn and who walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
He does this in no other way than becoming true Man, born of the Virgin Mary so that He may be lifted up and exalted wearing the same bedraggled flesh than inhabits all the sons of Adam. Moreover, He has attached His benefits to His Word and Spirit so that all flesh under the sun may hear, know, and receive the forgiveness of sin and everlasting life.
All Christians, since they participate in the benefits obtained by Christ Jesus, the Creator of all and Redeemer of all, may pray these words with confidence, along with fear and trembling. They may also rejoice evermore, because they abide in the Shadow of the Almighty, namely Christ Jesus, Who has gone before them and lives, though once He was dead.
Christ Jesus does not suffer and die for Himself, but for those who are dead of their own accord. He lives for them, too, to bless them and take them to Himself after a short time of suffering in this world.
